Curling iron



I June 2, 1925.

J. L. OLSON CURLING IRON Filed Nov. 5.1924

auucufoz 11']; 06.5010

Patented June 2, 1925.

UNITED sTA es 1,540,564 PhTENTFOFFICE.

JOHN L. oLson, or CHICAGO, I'L'Lnvor's'.

comma men.

Application filed November 3, 1924; semi No. 747,595.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN L. OLSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois have invented certainxnew and useful Improvements in Curling Irons, of which the following is a specification- This-invention relates to a hair curling iron, and particularly to a construction embodying cooperating tong members pivoted to each other and adapted to embrace the hair to be curled. I

In previous constructions of this characterthe tongs were iormed eitherwith a fixed pivot or tensionedtoward each other. In the case of a fixed pivot there occurs a )inchin action of the ton s u on the hair adjacent the fulcrum so that only a limited area of the tongs can be practically used and they do not act inv parallelism with equal pressure. In such case the more tightly held hair is heated to a, greater degree than the looser )ortion and the scissor-like action has a tenc ency to injure the portion of the hair nearest the fulcrum.- When the tongs are under a constant closing tension they are not free 'for application to the hair and one member cannot bodily move laterally to the other so as to permit the insertion oi the hair bjetvveen the tong membersfor substantially their entire length.

In the application of this device it. is usual toapply theconcave tong next the scalp and such permanently tensionedtongs prevent theirj free manipulation for this purpose as there isconstant tendency to grip the hair adjacent the pivot.

My invention obviates these objections by providing a free fioatingpivot between the jaws which permits them to be moved in parallelism for a limited distance and the tension device only acts .to apply I an even pressure upon the-clamping tong after a. body of hairhas been disposed between the tongs, and does not affect their pivotal action but exerts a lateral pressure thereonto firmly hold the hair in position.

i The invention has for anobject toiprovide a novel and improved construction of :curling iron comprising tong members freely pivoted to each other and a cooperating tension device disposed to act-upon one member only after its separation from the other member by an interposed object.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved spring dev ce for ap plication to curling irons and adapted to 1 be supported byon'e tong normally out of contact with the cooperating tong but adapt. ed to act thereon after a limited lateral movement of the latter.

Anothe'r'object otth'e invention is to present a new construction of spring plunger mounted upon one tong member in align ment With the pivot of theother to act transversely of the axis of said pivot and adapted to be adjusted to ,determine the tension under Which the hair is to. be held between the tong members. i

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention Will be hereinafter set forth and the novel featuresthereof defined by the appended claims.

In the. drawing .Figure 1 is aside elevation of the invention; 7 1

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section Figure 3 is asection-on the line of Figure 2; and Figure 4 1s a detail section of a modified .form of the invention.

"Like reference charactersdesignate corresponding parts throughout the; several 1 views. Y

The curling iron to Whichthis invention is appliedmay be of any desired character or configuration either for simply clamping a strand ofhair or for the-production, of

a Marcel Wave, and the application of the invention shown.- elnbodie'sa concave tong member 10Wl11Cl1 is provided at its inner end with a pivoting yoke 11 and angularly disposed portion 12 adaptedto receive the usual handle 13. The cooperating tong member 14 is substantially straight and provided. with a handle 15 disposed. parallel to thehandle 13. This member 142 has secured thereon a'pivoting sleeve or-block16 adapted to fit betweenthe walls. 17 i of the yoke 11 and to receivefa cross pivot 18 secured in said block and adapted for movement in the .slots 19 of the Walls17.

This construction permits a limited bodily movement of the clamping tong, 1'4: toward and from its cooperating member as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 2.v When between the tong members it is desirable to providemeansfor resiliently clamping a strand or portion ofhair has been locked a spring device is disposed to. actupon having a head 22 which seats against the base of the cylinder forming a positive means to limit the inward movementof the plunger and maintain its, definite relation to the curved face 23 of the pivot block 16. The plunger is held in its normal projected position by a tension spring 24 resting thereon and at its opposite end cont-acting with a cap 25 which is adjustably mounted upon the cylinder to vary the tension of the spring andl'the consequent holding tension of the clamping jaw.- This is a very desirable feature of construction as it provides for the proper tension to be" applied'to the character of'liair treated. For instance if the hair is of a very fine light nature a different tension is desirable than if of a more heavy character.-

-A modified form of the invention is shown in-Figure 4' wherein the clamping jaw 26 cooperates with the concave jaw 27, the former being provided with a pivot block 28 and pivot 29 slidably mounted'in the yoke 30 of the jaw 27, these parts being similar to those before described. Above the pivot block 28 a flat spring 31 maybe secured to the base of the yoke as at 32, and spaced from the upper face of the block 28 so as not to act thereon until the jaws have been laterally separated by the insertion'of a body of hair between the same.

The general operation of the invention will-be apparent from the foregoing description from which itwill be seen that the present'invention permits the jaws to fulcrum freelyand without resistance, and in the insertion of the hairto move bodily I in parallelism with each other-so that the curling.

operator has perfect freedoinof action in the application of tllB'iIOD'tO' the hair while the tension is not applied until the hair hasbeen disposed between the'tongs and as the result it applies a direct bodily pressure upon the clamping'member throughout its length which permits substantially the entire curling area of the .iron to be used as there is no restricted or pinching action common to the scissor type of action 'in hair The construction has alsoinaterial practical'advantages inthat the pin in its travel in the slot merely serves to-keep thetong members assembled andfthere is substantially no wear thereon as it forms a floatand permits a free action in the opening of the tongs as even though under tension the plunger may travel upon the curved face in the separation of the tong members by an interposed object.

2. A curling iron comprising tong members, a. pivot between the same to permit relative lateral movement, and a spring device supported by one tongto engage said pivot during lateral movement and normally disposed out of tensioning contact with the cooperating tong during pivotal movement. r

3(A curlingiron comprising tong members, a pivot between the same to permit relative lateral movement, aspringxdevice supported by one tong to engage said pivot duringlateral movement and normally disposed out of contact with the cooperating tong "during pivotal movement, and means to limit. the movement of said device toward said cooperating tong.

ei/A curling iron comprising tongmembers pivoted for movement-in parallelism, and a normally inactive spring plunger disposed upon one tong to act transversely of the axis'of the pivot between the tongs in the separation thereof by an interposed Object. 1'

A. curling iron comprising tong members. pivoted for movement in parallelism, a spring plunger disposed upon one tong to act transversely of the axis of, the pivot between the tongs and engage the pivot in such parallel movement, a casing enclosing said plunger, a spring within said casing bearing upon the plunger, and an adjust-able cap for said casing bearing upon said'spring.

6. A curling iron comprising tong members one of which is provided with a yoke having slotted walls, a bearing block secured to the cooperating tong and having a pivot extending through said walls, and a normally inactive spring member carried by said yoke and adapted to bear upon said bearing block in the separation of the tongs incident to an interposed object.

7, A curling iron comprising tong members one ot'which is provided with a, yoke having slotted walls, a bearing block secured to the cooperating tong and having apivot extending through said Walls, and, a normally inactive spring member carried by said yoke and adapted to bear upon a curved face of said bearing block in the separation of the tongs incident to an interposed object.

8. A curling iron comprising tong memhers one of Which is provided with a yoke having slotted side Walls, a bearing block secured to the opposite member and having a pivot. extended therefrom through said slots, a cylinder mounted upon said yoke, a plunger therein spaced from said bearing block at its out-Ward degree of travel, and tension means for projecting said plunger toward said block. I

9. A curling iron comprising tong members one of which is provided with a. yoke having slot-ted side Walls, a bearing block secured to the opposite member and having a pivot extended therefrom through said slots, a cylinder mounted upon said yoke, a plunger therein spaced from said bearing block at its outward degree of travel, a

coiled spring disposed in said cylinder and resting upon an enlarged head of said plunger to project the same toward said block, and a cap adjustably mounted upon said cylinder to bear, upon. said spring.

10. A curling iron comprising coacting' tong members mounted for preliminary separation Without tension, and a normally inactive tension device disposed to act upon said members in their further separation by an interposed object.

ll A curling iron comprising coacting tong members mounted for pivotal separation Without tension, and a subsequent bodily separation under tension and a ten sion device disposed to act upon said members in such bodily separation from each other incident to pressure upon an object interposed between said members.

In testimony whereof I a-flix my signa- .ture.

JOHN L. OLSON. 

